foreword

Perhaps this would be better described as a disclaimer, but as long as I'm play-authoring... I've been writing stories since I was a little kid. I have a crazy imagination and often put some of its output onto paper. Mostly, I write short stories, but I started a couple novels long ago. Both the novels and many of the short stories were abandoned unfinished. I write and write as long as material is forthcoming and stop as soon as I have trouble, leaving it be unless I am so inspired to resume.

Last night something came to mind and I opened up Word and started writing something new. After writing several pages, I posted about half a page of it on my blog, the first part of it. Then I wrote some more. Around three in the morning, I closed the lid to my laptop and went upstairs and climbed into bed. The story kept going in my head; it was a while before I could sleep.

I've decided I want to try to keep this one going, to work at it if and when it comes to that, until I feel it's ended. I have no idea where it's headed, but I like that. Rarely do I let people read what I write. I know it doesn't seem that way since I have a blog, but I write a lot of stuff that no one sees except me. I wrote poetry for several years until my mom found a collection of poems I had turned in for an English assignment in the eighth grade. She instantly started criticizing it and asking me questions about how autobiographical one of them was. I stopped writing poetry.

My point is that this is a big step in a different direction for me: putting something online for anyone to read as it unfolds. There will undoubtedly be some revising and perhaps complete deletions and insertions (I'm not so sure that some of those words are actual words, but whatever). There will be a lot of me in this, of course, and a lot of many people in my life blended into characters and events, but it's a work of fiction. Those of you who know me, try not to read too much into anything.

Also, in the past when I started writing something that was going to be extensive, involved, or just had a lot of characters, I worked up fairly thorough character profiles for at least all the principals, neat little bibles for them. I don't plan on doing that here, I kind of want to let them develop with the story and see how it all comes out. I'm really planning on only having the two people. Perhaps some people in flashbacks, brief encounters, or brought up by the two characters in conversation. If it doesn't go well, I might revert to my old ways, but unless I do that there will likely be a lot of editing as the characters take form.

Comments are absolutely welcome and desired as long as they are more extensive than, "This sucks." If you're going to say that, at least tell me why, or what specifically sucks. I've never claimed to be a good writer, so hate it if you like. I know my comments are often slow and I apologize for that, but be patient with it. Input is always welcome via e-mail as well, so feel free, my address is at the top of the page. Oh, and I should add I'm not good with tenses. Also, it might not look too pretty slapped up on here. I assure you that my Word document looks better. The biggest potential flaw I see in all of this is that I want the literal part of the story to focus on the relationship between a man and a woman. I'll admit upfront, I don't understand men at all and I certainly don't pretend to know what they think. I'm sure that anyone who reads this knowing nothing about me will not doubt it was written by a woman. So, if you're a guy and you're reading this, I could use your help. Seriously. I should also mention for those of you who don't know me, in many ways, I don't fit into my gender that well all the time. I'm clueless about fashion, I generally hate shopping, it's an extremely rare day when I wear a dress or skirt, I can't do anything with hair or makeup, etc. So if I say something that makes no sense, I'm probably going beyond my realm of knowledge of "female behavior" and you should feel free to clue me in. Now, I believe you've been sufficiently warned.

I guess all that's left to say is that I hope you enjoy it. If not, don't waste your time, just go elsewhere.